French toast
Thick slices of day-old bread soaked in a vanilla and cinnamon custard, then fried in butter until golden outside and soft within.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 100°C and put a baking tray inside to keep the cooked slices warm.
- 2
Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a shallow dish until no streaks of egg white remain.
- 3
Set a large frying pan over medium-low heat and add a knob of butter. Let it melt and foam.
- 4
Lay 2 or 3 slices of bread in the custard and soak for about 20 seconds on each side, until soaked through but not falling apart.
- 5
Lift each slice, let the excess drip back into the dish, and lay it in the pan.
- 6
Fry until the underside is deep golden.
- 7
Flip and fry until the second side is golden and the center feels set when pressed.
- 8
Move the slices to the tray in the oven.
- 9
Repeat with the remaining bread and custard, adding more butter to the pan for each batch.
- 10
Serve hot with maple syrup, berries or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Notes
- Slightly stale bread soaks up the custard without turning soggy. If your bread is fresh, dry the slices in a low oven for 10 minutes first.
- Keep the heat at medium-low so the custard in the middle cooks before the outside burns.
Equipment
Shallow dish, Whisk, Large frying pan, Spatula, Baking tray